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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · prune · bass · pass · nail · tube · last · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bass — low music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. last — to go on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rule — government
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bass — the fish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com